Flash light



1. VINCE..

FLASH LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I8, I92I.

Patented Jan. '17, 1922.,

m W do Wl TNE SSE S A TTOHNE YS UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE.

:man LIGHT.

Specification of Letten Patent.

A Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

Application mea January 1s, 1921.' smal no. 438,170.

Toallwhomtmayconcem: Be it known that I, Josnrn VINCE, a citlzen of theUnited States, and a resident of the .city of New York, borough ofBrooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and -Improved Flash Light, of which the following 1s a description.A f i My invention relates to electric flashli hts and has for itsgeneral object to provi e a conductor element so related to the shellandto the battery thatit may be operated from the exterior of the shelland close the circuit and at vthe vsame time the arrangement minimizesthe possibility of the battery freezing to the shell and makes provisionfor the ready removal of the battery and conductor strip without damageto the strip even should the battery freeze 'by long disuse.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing formin a part of thisvspeciication, it being un erstood that the drawing is merely-illustrative of one example of the invention.

Flgure 1 is a sectlonal side elevation of a Y flashlight embodfying myinvention, my improved circuitrmin;

shown 1n elevation an the covering of the attachment being battery beingpartl broken away;

Figure 2 isa sidTe elevation of the conductor device completing thecircuit through the battery and lamp showing said device in itspreferred form;

Figure 3 is a rear end of the flashlight with the rear cap removed.

In the illustrated example of the invention, A indicates a battery whichmay be of any approved form .and composed of one or more cells, Aindicating thel usual paper or like 4insulating wrapper on the battery;and a the front contact of the battery. The letter B indicates the shellusually employed in'fashlights of the indicated character for enclosingthe battery A and carrying at its front end the electric lamp designatedgenerall by the letter C as well as a bottom cap which en ges a threadedexterna-1 band d on shell The shell B employedjn carrylng out myinvention may be of the conventional form and dimensions except that theusual conductor and contact elements on said shell with the usualcoacting switch to close the the threaded flange ofcircuit are omittedin carrying out my invention. The lamp C shown is of known form havingthe usual contact c to engage the opposed front battery contact a, cindicating the usual neck of the lamp; c2 the reflector; c3 the lens;and c* the usual threaded retaining ring for said lens and arranged toengage the threaded band c5 fixed to the shell at the forward end.

In the form shown means is provided tending to force the battery Arearwardly to separate the contacts a, c for breaking the c1rcu1t.- Forthe purpose7 use preferably is made of a spring and preferablyandadvantageously, said spring is a compression spring 10 coiled aboutthe lamp neck c and bearing at its front end against the refiector c2and bearing at its inner end against the front of the battery A. Saidspring 10 is utilized in the form of my invention shown as part of themeans for completing the circuit at the outside between the lampreflector and the rear of the battery, for which purpose said springmay, as shown,

Y be formed integral with an elongated conductor strip 1l lying close tothe battery A outside of the aper wrapper A of the battery between t esame and the shell B.

I provide for making or breaking the circuit by means operable from theexterior ofthe shell and extendin through the same at a side thereof,for W ich purpose, said strip 11 has formed thereon or secured thereto amember 13 projecting laterally outward through a longitudinalslot b inshell B, to be thereby operated by shifting it forward or back in theslot b by the thumb or finger of the hand holding the fiashlight,thereby making the light a one-hand flashlight.

In accordance with my present invention I provide on the strip 11 at therear end a lateral arm 12 which is turnable on the body of the strip sothe said arm may occupy a position extending'flaterally inward at theback of the battery and in contact with the rear pole of the latter orbe turned laterally outward into the plane of the strip 11 out of thepath of the battery ering A? at the front end of the battery,

by rubbing of the conductor strip, suit-- able insulation may beprovided on said stri at that point, there being indicated a rub ersheath 14 for the purpose. With the described arrangement the arm 12 maybe engaged by the thumb nail, a knife blade, or other implement, andswung away from the battery to permit removal of the latter, after whichthe member 13 may be pressed laterally inward through the slot b and theconductor strip 11 readily removed. The conductor strip while thebattery is in position, it will be noted, is applied to the batteryrather than to the shell, and the arrangement is suiciently flexible toprevent damage to the battery even should the latter freeze to theshell.

The forward movement of tl circuitclosing control member 13 acts tocarry forward the conductor strip 11 and the latter by its lateral arm12 will carry with it the battery and effect engagement of the opposedcontacts a, c.

Upon the forward pressure on the member 13 being relieved the spring 10will cause a separation of contacts a, c, thus breaking the circuit. Inorder to hold the circuit-controlling member 13 inthe forward ositionwith the circuit closed, I provide or restraining the same againstrearward movement by the spring 10, a simple means available for the'purpose consisting of a short branch slot bcomplementary to the slot band extending laterally, thereby producing an L-shaped or bayonet slotso that the turning of the member 13 laterally into the branch slotmaintains a closed circuit. The conductor strip 11 vmay have an)vsuitable cross section but advantageously, in practice, it is made latto occupy the minimum space between the battery and the shell. The usualspace between the battery and the shell B in known makes is provided toaccommodate the usual contact strips on the shell B which provides amplespace for my described conductor strips.

I would state in conclusion that while the illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of my invention, I do not limitmyself strictly to the mechanical details herein illustrated, sincemanifestly the same can be considerably -varied without departure fromthe spirit of the invention as de-4 fined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A light of the class described including a shell having a lampthereon, a battery removably enclosed by said shell, said lamppresenting a contact opposed to one pole of the battery, and a removableconductor strip on said battery externally thereof, and separatetherefrom, said conductor strip having an arm at the rear end turnablymounted to turn relatively to said strip about the axis of the latter todispose said arm extending laterally inward from the strip to engage therear end of the battery or to an outer position away from the battery.

2. As a new article of manufact-ure, a flashlight including a shell, alamp thereon, a battery removably accommodated in the shell, a conductorelement between the battery andA shell and operable from the extcror ofthe shell., contact members subject to longitudinal movements of saidconductor element to make or break the circuit, and a member on theconductor element and turnable thereon laterally to a position to engagethe battery or to a position away from the battery.

3. A light of the class described including a shell, a lamp thereon, abattery removably accommodated in said shell, a conductor strip betweenthe battery and shell and separate from both, said conductor striphaving operating means extending to the exterior of the shell, means tomake or break the 'electric circuit by the bodily movement of saidconductor strip, said conductor strip having a member engaging thebattery at the rear end, said member being turnable to dispose saidmember at the back of the battery or away from the battery forpermitt-ing removal of the same, and the said conductor strip and itsoperating means, being removable from the shell when said rear endmember is turned outwardly and the battery removed.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a con- Y ductor strip adapted to beaccommodated in a flashlight between the shell andbattery thereof andhaving an element' at the rear end turnable on said strip and positionedto extend laterally inward at the back of the battery or to a positionaway from the bat tery to permit removal of said battery, said striphaving a member extending laterally 'through the shell for moving saidstrip, the

battery holding the strip against inward movement to dispose said memberwithin the shell and the said strip being displaceable laterally todispose said lateral member within t-he shell, and thereby permit withlight shell and the strip being lflexible tov permit the said laterallydisposed member to be pressed into the shell for removal of the strip.

6. A liashlight including a shell having a lamp thereon, a batteryremovably enclosed by said shell and slidable therein, said lamppresenting a Contact opposed to the front pole of the battery, and aconductor strip slidably accommodated between the battery and the shell,there being an arm turnably mounted on the conductor strip at the rearend to turn about the axis of said strip to position saidI arm inengagement with the 10 upon the' conductor strip being moved for- 15wardly.

JOSEPH VINCE.

